Dewey Arnold (Deweycheatumnhowe) rattled off back-to-back victories in the Open Trot in early March at Saratoga Casino Hotel before taking a couple of weeks off and making his return on Sunday afternoon. Assigned post eight in his attempt to three-peat, Dewey Arnold was one of three 2-1 co-favorites in the $15,000 feature for high-steppers. Driver Jimmy Devaux took the Dave Dewhurst trainee back at the start coming away seventh only due to an early breaker in the race. Dewey Arnold moved to the outside approaching the half but couldn’t flush any cover before coming after the race’s leader Madhatter Bluechip (Brett Beckwith), another of the race’s co-favorites. Dewey kept plugging away and though it appeared the task would be too difficult, the four year old star proved otherwise surging in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:56.4 to complete his hat trick. Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) continued his strong season by closing to be second while Madhatter Bluechip had to settle for the show spot.

Dewey Arnold, who is owned in tandem by Dewhurst and Philip Hale, now has seventeen wins in his 35 career starts and is just shy of the $300,000 in lifetime earnings. On Sunday, he paid $6.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $33.40 and $134.50, respectively. The victory in the Open was one of five on the day for Devaux who currently sits second in the driver standings in the early stages of the ‘22 campaign at the Spa.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that kicks off at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

With no Open Pace on the docket, the $13,000 Winners Over for pacers was the feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Saturday night. Mikibytheseaside (Always B Miki) made his 2022 debut in the feature coming off a pair of qualifiers in which he went coast-to-coast. The Andy Sardella trainee came to the Spa last fall and rattled off victories in his first three local starts before taking the winter off. On Saturday, he was the 9-5 second choice in the wagering when driver Jay Randall pointed him out to the lead in the Winners Over race. Following a reasonable first half that went in 57.3, the four year old cruised through a third quarter in 27.3 while hounded by the favored Oregon Trail (Billy Dobson) who was first-over. Mikibytheseaside put that rival away in the stretch and reported home a winner in 1:54 in his return. Oregon Trail was a game runner-up while Northern Rein (Leon Bailey) earned the show spot. Mikibytheseaside paid $5.90 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $19.20 and $240, respectively. The winner is owned by Mike and Bill Pozefsky of New York.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Birch Island Betty (Big Jim) established herself as a factor in the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel late last season. The Eve Bergeron trainee won the ladies’ feature twice in 2021 in a season that saw her hit the board in 21 of her 38 starts. Birch Island Betty made her ’22 debut in early March and has shown improvement every week. Heading into Monday afternoon’s try in the $15,000 Open for distaffers off a second-place finish, the seven year old appeared poised for her first score of the young season. Brett Beckwith took her back in the early going as a host of longshots slugged it out at the start. First half fractions of 27.1 and 56 seconds set the table for closers and Birch Island Betty made her move heading towards the three-quarter pole. The talented mare pulled off a three-wide move and drew away a bit from her rivals around the final turn. Robyn Camden (Billy Dobson), the winner of the last two installments of the local Open for fillies and mares, came from last on Monday and also made steady progress in the race’s final quarter. That classy mare came up short of threepeating as Birch Island Betty held strong in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:55 on a cold afternoon in the Spa City. Birch Island Betty paid $7.30 to win and led an exacta with Robyn Camden second that returned $21.60. Longshot Mc Kella (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot and rounded out a triple that came back $112.50. Birch Island Betty is owned by Dany Grenier, of Quebec, Canada.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post set for 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

With no Open Trot on the docket, there were co-features for Winners Over trotters on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. All eyes were on the track’s defending Trotter of the Year as Cash Me Out (Cash Hall) made just his second start of the season. The Kyle Spagnola trainee was the 6-5 betting favorite in his division of the $13,000 Winners Over and wasted no time moving out to the lead. Driver Phil Fluet set comfortable fractions for Cash Me Out who wound up powering away from his competition in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:57.1 to record his first win of the year and 70^th in his amazing career. The eleven year old, who is owned by Mike Traylor of Ballston Spa, NY, is poised to head back into the Open in the coming weeks. On Sunday, he paid $4.50 to win. The victory was one of two on the card for conditioner Kyle Spagnola.

The other division of the $13,000 co-features went to another horse who recorded his first victory of the 2022 campaign. Grinder (Andover Hall) had been off since last May when he made his seasonal debut earlier this month. The six year old didn’t get his season off to the strongest start but on Sunday made a late move on dueling leaders before surging in the stretch. Young reinsman Brett Beckwith moved Grinder just at the right time and the Amanda Kelley-trained trotter got up in the final stride to win by a head in 1:57.3. He paid $10.40 to win in the mild upset. Grinder is owned by Scheigert&alliesracing LLC of Saratoga Springs.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon with a matinee beginning at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Artful Way was named Pacer of the Year at Saratoga Casino Hotel in three consecutive seasons from 2016-2018. The Jackie Greene-trained standout was a bit lightly raced for a time following the three award-winning campaigns but any thoughts that his “Open career” was over were put to bed last year when the veteran won seven times en route to a $116,032 season. Heading into Saturday’s start in the Open Pace, Artful Way owned a pair of victories on the year, one of which came in the Saturday night featured race. Leading driver Billy Dobson sat behind the ten year old pacer who was the public’s 4-5 betting favorite in the $15,000 feature. After cruising unopposed through a first half that went in 57 seconds, Artful Way was met with the challenge of Skyway Victor (Jay Randall) who had a win and a second in his last two starts in the Open. That rival fought gamely on the outside but proved to be no match to the two-time Horse of the Year at the Spa. Artful Way held strong in the stretch to score in 1:53.3 for his second Open victory in ’22. Skyway Victor was the runner-up while Elite Retreat (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot. In his 69^th career victory, Artful Way paid $3.70 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $12.80 and $51.50, respectively. The winner is owned by the Kellogg Racing Stables of Queensbury, NY.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time of Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Bluffinner (Credit Winner) was claimed at Yonkers by Jordan Derue in January. The five year old trotter enjoyed a six-figure season in 2021 and has been off to a solid start to his ’22 campaign. After being a beaten favorite in his debut at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Bluffinner rattled off back-to-back jacks for Derue including one victory in the $13,000 Winners Over.

Last week, he made his debut in the Open Trot and was backed by the betting public to the tune of 4-5 odds. The Derue trainee was a non-factor in his first start in the feature and finished fourth.

On Sunday afternoon, Bluffinner drew post seven in the seven-horse Open and was thus dismissed at odds of 22-1. Derue left a bit with the longshot and found a spot in fourth in the early going. With the favored Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) setting comfortable fractions on the engine, a first-over task appeared to be a tough one but that’s the path Derue took with his speedy trotter. Bluffinner fought gamely on the outside as Gigfy dug in.

In the meantime, Squee Hanover, who was the pocket-sitter, closed up in the inside in the stretch as the dueling leaders traded strides. Bluffinner surged one last time at the wire before coming on to score in 1:56, paying $46.20 to win in the big Open upset.

Gigfy finished second while Squee Hanover had to settle for third. The exacta and triple with the 22-1 shot on top returned $148 and $269.50, respectively. Bluffinner is owned by Derue in partnership with the FBP Racing Stable of Hinsdale, NH.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

A pair of claimers led veteran conditioner Jim Martuscello to a training double on Saturday evening at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Martuscello runs a small stable at the Spa and added two new members to his barn a few weeks ago when owner Pasquale Baia, of Amsterdam NY, claimed pacers Better Moonon Over and Gibus. Better Moonon Over made a break in his first start off the claim but the six year old has since rebounded in style. Following a second-place finish, Better Moonon Over was a decisive in his next start leading up to Saturday’s try in the $5,000 claiming ranks. Jimmy Devaux powered Better Moonon Over out to the early lead and from there, it was over. The claiming pacer cruised away to win by better than six lengths in 1:55.1 to complete his back-to-back jacks.

Gibus was claimed for $12,500 by Baia and Martuscello last month and finished second in his first start for new connections in late February. After a three week layoff, it was back to the track on Saturday for Gibus who moved up into the $15,000 claiming ranks for the first time. Reinsman Brett Beckwith sat patiently with Gibus throughout the first five-eighths of a mile before unleashing him approaching the three-quarter pole. The seven year old put one in the win column for the first time this year when he surged past the front-runner before powering away to prevail by two and a quarter lengths in a mile clocked in 1:55.2 to complete a double for his owner and trainer. Gibus paid $10.000 to win in the mild Saturday upset. Martuscello had started out his ’22 campaign with four wins and four seconds in just ten seasonal starts.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post set for noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

All Speed Rising (All Speed Hanover) has established herself as a formidable Filly and Mare Open Pacer this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Andy Gardner trainee came into Monday’s try in the $15,000 feature with a win and a pair of seconds to her credit in her five seasonal tries in the Open for distaffers. All Speed Rising often utilizes her early speed and did just that in Monday’s feature when driver Jay Randall powered her right out to the lead. After moving quickly through a first quarter in 27.4, the seven year old got a second quarter breather before completing lap one in 58.1. The race’s even money favorite, All Speed Rising held strong throughout and wound up powering away from her rivals to score in 1:55.3 for her second Open win of the young season. Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) was the pocket-sitter and wound up as the feature’s runner-up while Checks On The Way (Phil Fluet) earned the show spot. All Speed Rising, who is owned by George Tackley and Wendy Storrier, gave driver Jay Randall one of his three winners on the card. Paying $4.00 to win, the speedy mare led an exacta and triple that came back $28.60 and $132, respectively. The victory in the feature was one of two on the day to go with a pair of second-place finishes for Gardner who currently sits atop the trainer standings in the young ’22 season.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with first post time set for 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Dewey Arnold (Deweycheatumnhowe) scored his second consecutive victory in the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Sunday when the Dave Dewhurst trainee gutted out a first-over journey to secure the win. After a bit of a slow start to his 2022 campaign, Dewey Arnold has now toughed out back-to-back difficult journeys en route to his consecutive victories in the $15,000 Open Trot. Jimmy Devaux piloted the four year old former New York Sire Stakes star who toughed out Sunday’s win in 1:56.1 despite drawing the outside post in the feature. Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) held on to finish second while Gettin Messi (Shawn Gray) came on to earn the show spot. Dewey Arnold, who is owned by Philip Hale and Dave Dewhurst, paid $6.00 to win as the race’s second choice in the wagering and led an exacta and triple that came back $38.60 and $177, respectively.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga beginning at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Dewey Arnold (Deweycheatumnhowe) was a winning machine in 2021. Competing primarily in the New York Sire Stakes all spring and summer, the Dave Dewhurst trainee rattled off victory after victory before becoming an Open trotter late in the season. When racing in the local trotting feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Dewey Arnold enjoyed a strong stretch in the fall before being shut down in mid-October. All told, in his sophomore season Dewey Arnold piled up over a quarter million dollars in earnings by way of twelve wins.

The ’22 campaign didn’t get off to as good of a start for Dewey though and he didn’t have much to show for his first three starts back. On Sunday afternoon, the four year old drew post three for his try in the $15,000 Open Trot. The track’s defending leading driver Jimmy Devaux asked Dewey Arnold for some early speed and things looked grim after the start as the talented trotter wound up being parked out.

Bridge Works (Luke Hanners) was on the front-end and felt mild pressure from Dewey Arnold who took a ride on the rim in a first half that was clocked in 57.3. Squee Hanover (Billy Dobson) pulled behind the parked out rival before tipping three wide around the final turn. Bridge Works began to tire though and Dewey Arnold just kept plugging away before taking the lead turning for home. Squee Hanover charged at him late in the game but the chase proved to be futile. Dewey Arnold registered his first victory of the season and did so in 1:56.2 to match the fastest trotting mile of the young season at the Spa. Squee Hanover finished second while Bridge Works held on for third. In his first score of the year, Dewey Arnold paid $4.30 to win as the favorite and led an exacta and triple that came back $22.60 and $62.50, respectively. Dewey Arnold is co-owned by his trainer Dave Dewhurst and Philip Hale of New Hartford, NY.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a Noon start to the matinee.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser